The families of the boys rescued from a cave in Thailand were told by health officials that they still could not embrace or hold the children.

The plight of the boys, aged 11-16, has riveted Thailand and much of the world — from the heart-sinking news they were trapped to the first flickering video of the huddle of anxious yet smiling boys brought back by the pair of British divers who found them after penetrating deep into the sprawling cave, as reported by The Associated Press.